Picture frame



NOV. 18, 1958v CARROLL 2,860,437

PICTURE FRAME Filed Nov. 4, 1957 2 SheetsSheet l INVENTOR NoZ-Ze 022 7717/! ATTORNEY Nov. 1s, 1.958 A O L 2,860,437 v PICTURE FRAME Filed NOV. 4, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 2/ Nofile C'arroZZ ATTORNEY United States Patent PICTURE FRAME Noble Carroll, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Application November 4, 1957,5erialNo. 694,334

9 Claims. (Cl. 40-152) This invention relates to a novel construction of picture frame adapted to be mounted in a corner of a roomfor effectively supporting, framing and displaying pictures, photographs, transparencies and the like.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a picture frame Which is so constructed as to support a picture in recessed curved relation to a front side of the picture frame and in such a manner as to materially enhance the illusion of depth in the picture and to produce a third dimensional effect in connection with the scene portrayed. I

Another and primary object of the present invention is to provide a picture frame having novel means for detachably mounting pictures therein and which is so constructed that when the picture is removed from the frame the separated picture and frame will be much more compact for storage and shipment than the assembled picture and frame.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a picture frame having portions beveled and curved in a manner to further enhance the illusion of depth in the scene depicted by the picture and around which said frame portions are disposed.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a pres ently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view showing the picture frame and with a picture mounted therein;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the same;

Figure 3 is an enlarged top plan view thereof, showing the picture frame and the picture supported thereby mounted in a corner;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line4 -4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 55 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of a portion of one side rail of the frame;

Figure 7 is a similar view of a complementary portion of the other side rail of the frame, and

Figure 8 is a similar view of another portion of the side rail disclosed in Figure 6.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the picture frame in its entirety is designated generally 10 and includes complementary side rails 11 and 12, a top bar 13 and a bottom bar 14. The top and bottom bars 13 and 14 extend between and are secured at their ends to end portions of the side rails 11 and 12 for supporting said side rails in spaced apart substantially parallel relation to one another.

The side rails 11 and 12 have complementary substantially coplanar front faces 15 and substantially parallel inner side wall faces 16 which extend rearwardly from inner edges of the front faces 15. Said side rails 11 and 12 have substantially coplanar and relatively narrow rear 2,860,437 Patented Nov. 18, 1958 2 faces 17 which are disposed substantially parallel to the front faces 15. The side rails 11 and 12 are also provided with inner faces 18 which extend between the longitudinal back edges of the inner faces 16 and the rear faces 17, and which inner or rear faces 18 are beveled and disposed in rearwardly diverging relation to one another from the inner faces 16. As clearly illustrated in Figure 5, the beveled inner faces 18 are of a width substantially greater than the width of the inner faces 16. The side rails 11 and 12 also include narrow outer faces or edges 19 which are likewise disposed substantially parallel to one another and project rearwardly from the outer edges of the front faces 15. The side rails 11 and 12 also have beveled outer faces 20 which extend rearwardly in converging relation to one another from the outer edges or faces 19 to the rear faces 17. The side rails 11 and 12 are provided with grooves 21 extending from end-to-end thereof and which open outwardly of the rear faces 17. The grooves 21 are of substantial depth and are disposed in rearwardly converging relation to one another, as clearly illustrated in Figures 3 and 5.

The outer faces 20 of both side rails are provided with corresponding recesses .22 adjacent the ends thereof, portions of which open through the rear faces 17, outwardly with respect to the grooves 21, as seen in Figures 5, 6 and 7. Headed screw fastenings 23 are anchored in the rails 11 and 12 and have their heads disposed in the recesses 22. The screw fastenings of one of the side rails, as for example the rail 12, extend through and anchor metal tips 24 in the recesses 22 of said rail 12 and so that the tubular ends of the tips 24 extend from the open portions of the recesses 22 and rearwardly from the rear face 17. The ends of an elastic strand 26 forming an elastic loop are anchored in said tubular end 25 of each tip 24, and said elastic loops 26 are adapted to detachably engage the screw fastenings 23 of the other complementary recesses 22 of the rail 11, so that the elastic loops 26 extend detachably across the back of the picture frame and are detachably connected to the screws 23 of the rail 11, for a purpose which will hereinafter be described. p

The outer faces of the rails 11 and 12 are each provided with a recess 27, as seen in Figures 2 and 8. The recesses 27 open upwardly at an incline through the rear faces 17 and are located between the upper and lower recesses 22 and preferably nearer said upper recesses, as seen in Figure 2. A nonelastic picture hook engaging strand 28 has apertured metal tips 29 extending into the recesses 27 and secured therein by screw fastenings 30. The strand 28 is longer than the spacing between the rails 11 and 12 to provide slack therein, as seen in Figure 2.

The end bars 13 and 14 extend between the upper and lower ends of the side rails 11 and 12 and have their ends disposed against the ends of the beveled inner faces 18 and secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by driven fastenings 31 and/or a bonding medium, not shown, such as glue. Said end bars 13 and 14 are rearwardly bowed relative to the side rails 11 and 12, as seen in Figures 1 to 3 and 5, and the lower end bar 14 is preferably wider than the upper end bar 13, as seen in Figure 1.

A sheet 32 of a material which is capable of being flexed and which may constitute a picture, a photograph, a transparency or other illustration, is adapted to be supported by the frame 10 and is of a width greater than the spacing between the slots 21 and of a length less than the over-all len th of the frame 10 but preferably somewhat greater than the spacing between the end bars 13 and 14. The sheet 32 is flexed longitudinally so that the longitudinal side edges thereof can be inserted into the slots 21 and so that the front side of the sheet containing' the picture, photograph orillustration will be the concave side thereof and will face toward the frame 10. The picture 32 is. positioned underthe picture hook engaging strand 23, so that said strand extends across the back thereof. The picture 32 due to its tendency to assume a flat condition is supported by engagement of its longitudinal side edges in the grooves 21 and said side edges, due to the fact that the sheet 32 is under flexure, tend to press into the beds of the grooves 21 and to frictionally engage the walls of the grooves to securely maintain the picture therein. In addition, after the sheet 32 has been applied to the frame 10, the elastic loops 26 are stretched across the convex outer side of the sheet 32 and the free ends of said loops are engaged over the fastenings 23 of the rail 11 to provide additional means for securing the sheet or picture 32 in the frame 10. However, it will be readily apparent that the elastic loops 26 can be disengaged from the fastenings 23 of the rail 11 so that the sheet or picture 32 can be quickly and easily removed from the frame 10. It will also be readily obvious that when the picture is removed from the frame 10, the frame and picture can be much more compactly stored or shipped than when assembled, as illustrated in the drawings.

It will be obvious that the curvature of the picture inwardly and away from the plane of the frame will increase the illustion of depth in the picture. This illusion of depth or third dimensional effect is further emphasized and enhanced by the beveled inner faces 18 which, as seen in Figure 1, are not visible when the picture is being viewed and which materially enhances the illusion of depth adjacent the side edges of the picture. The greater width of the bottom bar 14 relative to the top bar 13 also intends to emphasize the appearance of depth in the picture.

It will be readily apparent that the frame 10 containing the picture or sheet 32 may be readily mounted between two walls 33 of a room forming a corner, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3, and the outer faces 20 of the two side rails 11 and 12 form a right angle with one another and accordingly are adapted to lie substantially flush against portions of the walls 33 when the picture frame is thus disposed. It will be obvious that the picture hook engaging strand 28 may engage conventional picture hooks, not shown, which can be secured to the walls 33 for supporting the frame and picture.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A picture frame comprising complementary elon gated side rails and top and bottom end bars, said end bars being connected to end portions of the side rails and supporting said side rails in spaced apart substantially parallel relation to one another, said side rails having substantially coplanar front faces constituting the front of the frame, said top and bottom bars being bowed from end-to-end thereof rearwardly of the frame and away from the front thereof, said side rails having rear faces and being provided with grooves opening outwardly of said rear faces, beyond the ends of the top and bottom bars, said grooves being adapted to receive side edge portions of a sheet for supporting the sheet flexed rearwardly and away from the frame and with the concave picture bearing front side of the sheet facing forwardly and toward the frame.

2. A picture frame as in claim 1, said grooves being disposed in rearwardly converging relation to one another.

3. A picture frame as in claim 1, said side rails having relatively wide rearwardly diverging beveled inner faces.

4. A picture frame as in claim 3, the ends of said top and bottom bars being disposed against said beveled inner faces.

5. A picture frame as in claim 4, said side rails having inner side faces, narrower than said beveled inner faces and extending between said front faces and the beveled inner faces.

6. A picture frame as in claim 1, said side rails having beveled rearwardly converging outer faces disposed at substantially a right angle to one another and adapted to abut corner forming wall portions for mounting the picture frame and picture in a corner.

7. A picture frame as in claim 6, elastic members connected to said side rails and extending from said outer References Cited in the file of'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 926,348 Miller June 29, 1909 1,742,378 Boese Ian. 7, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,071 Great Britain Feb. 20, 1891 

